- "What's your name?"
The voice came from the hunter sitting a few seats down from him, from a hunter he did not know. She was vaguely recognizable; he'd probably seen her a few times on various missions, but he had never actually spoken to her.
Until now, apparently. A frown creased his lips, eyebrows drawing together in mild confusion.
"Warden," he said warily. "Warden Victors."
She gave him a bright, expectant smile, as if waiting for him to ask what her name was in return. When all he gave her was a somewhat blank, bemused stare, she laughed, sticking out her hand.
"I'm Billie," she said. "I've seen you around."
He gave her an unconcerned look, nodding in a distant, dismissive sort of way as though he were intending to end the conversation then and there - which he was. Making small talk with his fellow hunters was one thing; getting to know one another was an entirely different story. And in six years, Warden Victors had not yet crossed that line. He kept to himself, did what he was supposed to, and went to sleep every night without having put himself into situations he knew he wouldn't be able to get out of. He had had friends, of course - but after the first three had been brutally killed on three separate missions, he had decided it was not a good idea to get attached.
He had acquaintances. Nothing more. That was it. Wake up, go to work, casually chat those he stood with in the dinner line, and then sleep. Wake up, do it all again.
A routine. That was what his life was. One big, dangerous routine.
"You're always by yourself, you know. It's kind of pathetic."
His brows shot up, Warden's attempts at ignoring her clearly failing as he turned to give her a surprised look.
"Pardon?"
She had her chin in her hand, resting her arm on the tabletop. The tray of half-eaten food lay, apparently forgotten, in front of her.
"You're pathetic," she said again, this woman - Billie.
A hot, embarrassed flush covered his cheeks, and Warden pushed himself abruptly to his feet. "Well, excuse me for being pathetic," he snapped, snatching up his tray. "Excuse me for wanting to sit and eat in peace!"
He started to turn away, intent on leaving her behind, until he heard her voice again.
"It's not a bad thing, you know."
In spite of himself, he stopped, but he didn't look back, instead frozen with the tray held in his hands.
"What?" he asked her, and his voice was tight, tense. "What's not a bad thing?"
When she didn't answer right away, he gave in and pivoted slowly around, lifting his gaze to her pale-skinned face. She was looking at him with a straight, serious look in her eyes - luminous, bottle green eyes that looked haunted for such a young woman.
"Being afraid," she answered.
He stared at her. She smiled.
"Wanna have dinner with me?
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"I almost said no, you know."
From where her head rested on his arm, he could see Billie snort in amusement.
"But I decided to give you a chance anyway," he continued, absently stroking his fingers through her silky hair. It was still damp from her shower, the smell of grime and blood finally off of her skin, replaced only by the scent of soap and the flowery lotion she liked to use.
"And now..?" she said teasingly, craning her neck up to look at him.
"And now, a year later, I think I should have just kept walking," Warden deadpanned, and she slapped his shoulder, even as he was leaning forward to kiss her, his lips curving up into a smile against hers.
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"Grab those daggers - now - NOW, Billie!"
His voice was strained, hoarse. She fumbled with the one she held in her hand, stabbing it desperately and angrily into the cold earth. The frozen ground made it difficult to erect the barrier correctly, and Warden could see his breath in front of him, dissipating in a gust of white smoke.
"They're in," she said tiredly, and Warden grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet and pulling her backwards, both of them running away as fast as they could.
A scream erupted behind them - a human scream. Billie started to turn, her eyes full of despair. Warden's jerked her forward, unintentionally hard.
"No! You can't go back, it's too late!"
Her eyes were fierce, but she said nothing. Nothing at all, even as their feet pounded across the cold ground and they leapt into the portal waiting just beyond the way.
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"You shouldn't have stopped me! I could have done something!"
Two A.M. Her voice was hoarse from yelling so much.
Warden pushed his hair away from his face, frustration welling in his veins. "No," he said, for what felt like the twentieth time in as many minutes. "You couldn't have. We were already losing, there was nothing you could do - "
"THERE WAS!"
Her desperate, anguished scream tore at his heart, her fingers gripping the front of his shirt so violently she nearly ripped it. Her hair was tumbled free of its ponytail, the auburn strands wild and unruly against her pale, drawn face. Since their first meeting, nearly three years previous, she had grown thinner, her face more gaunt, her eyes hollow and sad.
But she was still Billie. She was still his Billie.
"There wasn't," he said quietly, all of the fight gone out of him by now. "There wasn't."
She stared at him for a long moment, and then shoved him roughly away, stalking across the room. He heard a sharp snapping noise and ducked out of the way just in time - a lamp careened towards him, smashing against the wall and shattering into a thousand pieces.
Billie collapsed to her knees, almost to the ground, but Warden was already there, his arms wrapped around her shaking shoulders. She was small, but strong, her fingers clenching in the sleeves of his sweater.
"It'll be all right. You'll be all right."
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Christmas. Two weeks before the new millennium.
"What's this?"
Billie smiled at him, green eyes twinkling. "The same thing you got me," she said, indicating the tiny box he held in his hand - identical to the one he had just handed her.
He gave her a suspicious look. "Did you do that on purpose?"
Laughing, she leaned forward and kissed him. He could taste the smile in her voice.
"Of course," she said, and pushed the box more against his chest. Rolling his eyes, Warden pushed open the lid.
A gold banded ring, exactly like the one he had just given her, except for a man. One brow rose.
"Are you proposing to me?"
Her laughter rang out again, surrounding him. "No. It's not even a promise ring, you idiot."
He eyed her suspiciously. "Then what exactly is it?"
"You'll see."
He rolled his eyes. "I love you, you idiot, did you now?"
Her eyes were glinting with mischief. "I love you too."
"Now tell me what it is."
More laughter, bright and clear.
"A reminder."
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The creature's wings itched against his back. Warden could feel her moving closer, smell the stench of decay and blood on her breath. His mind reached out, searching, waiting.
Tee?
-- I am here, Warden. --
You're all I have left now. Don't leave me.
Her voice was gentle, her words filled with a pain he could not see, and fierce - strong for someone who had never one yelled in the ten years he had been bonded to her.
-- I will stay with you for as long as I can. --
The monster's fingers were cold on his skin. Rain slipped down his neck, icy against the heat of the blood covering the back of his throat, his face, his hands. The sai swords had dropped from his fingers, his last moment of breathing, of knowing, of existing rapidly disappearing. He had tried - the sai had made contact, slipping between her flesh, but it had not done a single thing, of course.
He had not expected it to.
Her voice, callous, and silky smooth, filled his ears.
Tee?
-- Yes, Warden. --
Thank you for taking care of me.
He could almost taste her tears.
-- Always, Warden. --
The creature tilted his chin upwards. Warden closed his eyes.
Tee?
A whisper now, barely audible.
-- Yes, Warden. --
It's been an honor.
-- As with you, dear friend. As with you. --
Famine's fingers were cold, her lips barely an inch from his now.
Billie's face flashed in front of his eyes, bright and beautiful.
Wait for me.
Icy lips touched his. Warden felt the world around him begin to melt, his body slipping into numbness.
His heartbeat slowed, and then stopped.
I'm coming home to you.
